In the Office

This week marked the celebration of Social Media Week 2012 for cities across the world! It is no surprise that social media has taken over by storm. Businesses all over the nation are implementing social media strategies within their advertising and public relations campaigns. But just how powerful can social media really be? Read on to find out!

1. Everyone is on Facebook, literally.

In the midst of a growing consumer control era, advertising and public relations professionals understand the power of the internet. With 845 million Facebook users and over one billion Facebook posts a day, the social media movement is anything but irrelevant.

2. #Linsanity illustrates the power of social media

Whether you’re an avid basketball fan or Twitter junkie, the story of how former bench-warmer for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin, surprised the nation with his incredible scoring abilities has sent shockwaves through the Web. Within a week, Lin has become a phenomenon among Twitter users with hashtags like #Linsanity and #LinForTheWin generating thousands of mentions. With over 146,000 mentions in less than two weeks, Twitter proves to be one of social media’s most dominant platforms!

3. ABC Television proves how companies can use social media the right way.

In light of their newest television show, “PanAm”, ABC has effectively engaged fans through Twitter, Pandora and an exclusive “PanAm” page. By offering free PanAm travel bags and exclusive content over the Web, this company has taken advantage of the wide array of social media avenues and used them to their marketing advantage.

4. Where will social media go in 2012?

No one knows for certain what new social media platforms will emerge in the upcoming year. However, what is certain is that social media marketing will grow immensely over the next year. Whether social media takes over mobile devices and apps or reshapes the way we interact with television and other media, the year 2012 will be a breakthrough for new social media trends.

Social media goes beyond Facebook posts and blog updates. In order to steer away from the standard publicist role, PR Professionals should master these four essential things to become leaders in the social media world.